Tag Archives: jog

Do you listen to music when you exercise? Why? Last night my friends and I all sighted different reasons. Amy likes an inspirational pump-up, pop songs, whereas I often prefer something a bit ‘angrier’ with a strong beat like Linkin Park (yes I still love that album!).

But when it comes to jogging I often get frustrated because the beat on the songs changes and that interrupts my jogging pace. And when you buy those jogging compilations they are full of pop songs that I’ve either never heard of or are just not that in to. I’ve tried jogging without music, but I get bored and this is often the reason I stop after 30 minutes (yes a short attention span here)!

Now before you go any further may I just say this: I used to be a massive music snob. I was a 90s punk-rock-ska kid. I could never have liked anything as mainstream as a pop song. But then I grew up. If the song makes me happy or moves me emotionally, and yes pop songs (and any genres) can do this! So I am no longer a music snob and I have no time for them either!!!

Today however I ended up with BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge, Volume 5 (so all acoustic – oh yeah). And my top 5 tracks to listen to were:

The man who Can’t be moved – Cover by N-Dubz: this surprised me because although not really a pump-up song it has a great beat and is emotional enough!

Ego – The Saturdays: please don’t judge me! But their harmonies live really are tight!

Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap: I’d forgotten how sweet this song is after it had been over played. Again it turns out it has a really good jogging beat.

My Hero – Dave Grohl: need I say any more…

Bang bang bang – Mark Ronson & The Business International: now this song used to really annoy me.. but today the beat just got me going. And it is just silly… and when I’m out enjoying myself I am also a dag (for those of you overseas… that means silly too).

What have a learned fromthis? I need to rethink my jogging Playlists seriously.

What music do you listen to when you workout? Can you make any good suggestions?

Where am I now? A year ago I was Cross Fitting everyday at a great box (that’s a Cross Fit gym folks) called Hertford CrossFit. Prior to that my headaches/migraines were so severe that I couldn’t even walk around the block without making them worse (I’ll go into that story another day). So I’d worked really hard to get to a reasonable level of fitness and probably the strongest I’d ever been. Then I got a new teaching job in inner London which was really difficult. Not so much because the teaching or students were difficult, but because I had just been without my support network for too many years in the UK. And all the great friends I had made were up north in the midlands. Getting to the gym was just adding additional stress and guilt (when I wouldn’t get there after work as had work to do or was just so physically exhausted). I was cracking pretty badly and it was really affecting my work. In fact for the first time in my life I was having quite a bit of time off. So I made the executive decision to just not stress about exercise and stop going.

Then my knee cracked it. It said (if you speak knee (that’s primarily grinding and crunching) as I have learned to do since I hit puberty), “Katrina, you’ve worked so bloody hard to get me strong again, and now this… you just stop strengthening me?! Well I quit!” The physio listened to my knee, went white and told me to stop running and squatting. Great! Slowly I lost interest in my physio exercises…

…so here I am. Not quite the most unfit I’ve ever been, but just really slobbish and unmotivated. Every time I decide to do some form of fitness, if I don’t get straight to it that moment, my mind kicks in builds this wall of worry and excuses. I think I am worried that I’ll fail again at realising my goals. Yet I love sport and fitness. I’ve won rowing races and represented my state playing soccer for goodness sake. I am at heart a Fitness Freak – just dying to get back on it!

I’ve lost a lot of sleep feeling guilty over failing at lots of attempts to get my Fitness Freak back on – but in reality having not coped with isolation, loneliness and hating my job in the UK for the past couple of years it is not surprising I’ve failed so much.

But that’s fine. I have the time now and the opportunity to…

…just get off the couch!

Where do I want to be?

I will be able to do triathlons.

I will be able to join a hockey club.

I will be able to become a Pilates instructor.

I will be able to do crazy yoga poses.

I will be able to get back to Cross Fit.

What are the goals I am setting today?

Set realistic goals – I haven’t done this in the past if I really take into account living a busy lifestyle and not being one of those people with boundless ends of energy.

Be kind to my body – take it slow.

Do 10 minutes of Physio everyday because it does actually work! I know because when I stop all my problems (e.g. talkative knees) come flooding back.

Run a mile a day Challenge. I like the idea of short little challenges as a way of focusing myself. I’m not able to run far on my knees, so I’m not interested in time or distance. I’m interested in getting out there and keeping my form. Short strides to protect my knees and listen to them. Bless them they are weak because I have not listened to them for ages. So knees… I’m listening now!

So that’s it for now. I was going to write down about three more challenges… but then I referred back to point one!

I just went for my first Mile a Day Challenge – and the Melbourne weather was just great! I got back on my old running track here in Melbourne along the Merri Creek. And I must make a big shout out to the Friends of Merri Creek gang… gosh it’s come along! Just a beautiful 45 mins.

I’ve popped in some of the sights from today! And the smells: Snags on the BBQ at Ceres, Stringy bark (eucalyptus trees), Ironing, and fresh clean air!

Brunswick Velodrome

What are your fitness goals? How do you get your Fitness Freak on? How have you overcome getting in a fitness rut?